In Lavinia Kent’s scorching new eBook original novella, two wounded hearts find that only the sweet release of temptations long denied can heal the pain of past sins.

Five years ago, Miss Sarah Swilp had been deeply in love with Jonathan Perry, the second son of an earl. But when Jonathan inherited his aunt’s lands and money, he turned cold, demanding Sarah’s maidenhood and uttering those unforgettably cruel words: “You do know I won’t marry you.” She refused, of course, and that spoiled everything. Now, just as she’s agreed to a marriage of convenience, Jonathan reappears—and after Sarah gets one look at his lean, hard body, the embers of desire burst back into flame.

Over time, Jonathan has learned quite a bit about the art of pleasure—though nothing has ever given him so much joy as the husky timbre of Sarah’s laugh. It had hurt to leave her, but what other choice did he have? Perhaps he’d been too afraid of ending up like his brother, targeted by a woman seeking a title. Seeing her again, Jonathan can’t help wondering what might have been if only Sarah had surrendered to red-hot lust. Fortunately, judging by the wicked look in her eyes, it may not be too late to find out.

Sarah’s Surrender is intended for mature audiences. Don’t miss a preview of the next novel in the Bound and Determined series, Ravishing Ruby.

I didn’t pay too much attention that this was a novella until I started reading it. It may be a short story, but it was packed full of heat and emotion. At first, I thought this would be one of those novels where the protagonists are pig-headed and constantly misinterpreting each other, but was pleasantly surprised by when that wasn’t the case. Of course there was a misunderstanding, one that stemmed from childish selfishness, but I was pleased to read how the characters eventually handled it and how they grew as people.

There was little plotline to the story, but I feel that for this story, it was just right. There didn’t need to be some grand adventure for the characters. I did feel, however, that the story just cut off at the end. There was no cliffhanger but it still felt unresolved. I would have liked another chapter or at least an epilogue to see how things truly turned out instead of the reading assuming.

The author also wrote some erotic scenes. I like my historical erotic to be erotic and different from the usual scenes you find in historical romance. The scenes were tamer than I usually read, but fit with the theme and feel of the novel. In certain places, however, she would write in short staccato sentences. Sometimes this was distracting and took away from the heat of the scene. In one part, it was downright annoying because of the number of said sentences. They did not take away from the novel as a whole, however, and I often found myself swept away in the passion of the characters.

This was the first piece I have ever read from the author and I enjoyed enough to seek out her other works.